


The One Where They Get a New Friend

by Belaluxe, LauIsVeryCold



Series: FRIENDS AU [1]
Category: The Alienist (TV), The Alienist - Caleb Carr
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everyone is Queer, Fluff, Friends AU, John is kind of an alcoholic, Little bit of angst, because fuck you, but it's gonna be okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 08:43:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15882576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belaluxe/pseuds/Belaluxe, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LauIsVeryCold/pseuds/LauIsVeryCold
Summary: John moves back to New York and runs into an old friend.





	The One Where They Get a New Friend

“You’re all overreacting! She’s just a girl I met, okay? This doesn’t mean anything”, Stevie complains while Mary picks up the empty mugs.  
“Don’t worry, Stevie, I believe you”, Sara says. “And you-” she points at her friends “are all children.”  
“We were only teasing”, Marcus defends himself. He eats the last bite of his Rainbow Unicorn Creamy Cupcake before handing his plate to Mary.  
The door of the coffeehouse opens.  
“Sorry, we’re closed!” Mary shouts.  
“Laszlo.”  
Laszlo turns around, acknowledging the familiar voice with a warm smile. “ John?”  
“Sorry about marching in here like this”, John apologizes to Mary. He takes off his hat.  
Laszlo notices Mary has gone quiet again and reassures her: “It’s okay. He’s an old friend from university.” He stands up and walks over to John. “Good to see you again. Everyone, this is John.”  
The whole group chimes hellos and nice to meet yous. Laszlo introduces everyone. “This is Cyrus, my roommate. Mary, my other roommate. These are Marcus and Lucius, they live down the street here. And this is Sara. We don’t know where she lives.”  
“And you will never find out.” Sara winks.  
Laszlo ignores her comment. “Tell me, John, what are you doing here in New York?”  
Lucius stands up to let John sit and sits down on the back of the sofa Cyrus, Stevie and Sara are sitting on.  
“I, uh, I just moved here and I thought I’d take a walk and then I saw you. How long have you been living here?”  
“Ever since university. Where do you live?”  
“The building to the left of this place”, John answers.  
“The red one?” Marcus asks. He has some cream on the corner of his mouth but he doesn’t seem to notice.  
“Yes. Why?”  
“We live in that building”, Cyrus says. He’s tall and muscled. Everything he says makes John feel slightly intimidated.  
Sara stands up and puts on her leather jacket. “I gotta go, boys, can’t miss my shift. Mary, thanks for the coffee. John, nice to meet you.” She picks up her helmet and walks out of the coffeehouse. It’s already getting dark outside.  
“So, John, do you have Twitter?” Marcus asks.  
Lucius groans. “You have got to stop asking people that.”  
“You’re just jealous because I have more followers than you.”  
“Cyrus, you’re closer to him. Can you kick my brother for me?”  
Before Cyrus can react Stevie reaches out and kicks Marcus in the knee.  
“Ow, you dickhead!” Marcus laughs. He playfully hits Stevie on the back of his head.  
“Who’s going to watch Queer Eye at number 20 tonight?” the younger boy asks, still laughing. Number 20 is what they call the apartment Laszlo, Mary and Cyrus live in.  
“Not you”, Cyrus says.  
“What?” Stevie stares at him with wide eyes. “Why not?”  
“Because you need to practice for your recital next week.”  
“Fuck, I forgot about that.”  
“Language!” Laszlo says.  
Cyrus stands up. “We should probably go, we have a lot to do. Come on, Stevie.”  
“I’ll go too, I need to unpack my things”, John says.  
Laszlo stands up too. “Let me help you. Mary, I’ll see you at home. Bye, everyone.”  
John and Laszlo walk through the doors of the warm coffeehouse onto the cold streets of New York. John wraps his arms around himself to keep warm.  
Laszlo looks at him. John looks bad. His skin is ashen and his eyes are dull and empty. The last time he saw his friend was a few months after university; when Laszlo had to work with a serial killer and John was writing an article about him.  
Laszlo opens the door to their building and lets John walk in first. His friend mumbles a thanks.  
“What floor are you?” Laszlo asks.  
“Second. You?”  
“Me, too. I live in number 20.”  
John looks at him in surprise. “You’re kidding. I live in number 21.”  
They walk up the stairs to John’s apartment, which is, as expected, right across the hall from Laszlo’s. John opens the door. The small apartment is filled with boxes. Most are still unopened.  
“Where do you want to start?” Laszlo asks.  
“I need a drink.” John walks to the kitchen counter and picks up a bottle of whiskey. “Want some?” he asks.  
“No, thank you.” He picks up a box labeled kitchen and starts to put the items away. Dear God, he mumbles to himself in German, it’s worse than before.  
John drinks two more glasses of whiskey before he starts to help Laszlo. “I like your friends”, John says in an attempt to start a conversation.  
“Yes, they’re lovely”, Laszlo answers.  
“And you live with Mary and Cyrus, right?”  
“Yes, the apartment is under my name but we all live there together.”  
“How did you meet them?” John flattens the box Laszlo had handed him and gives his friend a new one.  
“Cyrus I met during a murder investigation. He was a witness and we started talking. He told me he needed a place to stay and I offered him one of my spare rooms. I met Mary not long after.”  
“And the rest?”  
“Marcus and Lucius are forensic examiners, and Sara is a detective at the NYPD. I met them through my job. Stevie is Cyrus’ student.”

Marcus and Lucius open the door to their mother’s apartment.  
“Mother, we’re home!” Lucius shouts in Yiddish to announce their presence.  
Marcus walks to the mirror. “Damn, I look fine today.”  
Lucius rolls his eyes and walks to the kitchen, searching for their mother. “Looks like she’s not home.”  
They usually only speak Yiddish at home and now is no different. English is their second language so Yiddish feels more natural.  
“Are you hungry?” Marcus asks.  
“Sure, I could eat something”, Lucius answers.  
“Great, make me something too.”

“Let’s leave it at this for tonight, okay?” Laszlo and John had been unpacking for a few hours now.  
John looks at the mess they haven’t even gotten to yet and rubs his tired eyes. “Fine.”  
“Shall we go back to number 20 and hang out with the others?”  
John shrugs and nods.  
They walk across the hall. The sound of Stevie playing the piano and singing loudly can be heard long before they open the door. Inside they find Stevie and Cyrus sitting at the piano. John recognizes the song. It’s Daisy Bell, written by Harry Dacre.  
Mary is sitting on the kitchen table holding a mug of steaming tea. She smiles at Stevie’s music and hums along softly. He practises so hard and it shows. He gets better and better every day.  
Stevie hangs out here more often than he does at his own home. If they had an extra room, Laszlo would probably give it to him.  
Laszlo is kind like that. When Mary was about to be homeless, he took her in without a second thought. He’s amazing. Her heart jumps every time he enters the room and gives her that little smile. Not that it matters, he doesn’t feel the same way, she’s sure of it.

Stevie plays the last note of the song. John claps his hands and the rest joins in.  
“I think you’re going to do an amazing job at the recital, Stevie”, Laszlo says proudly.  
“Thanks, doc.” Stevie plays a few more notes on the piano.  
Cyrus sighs. “Didn’t I tell you not to learn that one?”  
Stevie snickers and starts singing. “Young man, there’s no need to feel down.”  
John joins in laughing. “I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.”  
Cyrus and Mary cave in by the second verse and Laszlo hums along while making coffee for everyone (except Stevie).  
“Why don’t I get coffee?” Stevie asks after the song ends. “I’m 16, I can handle it!”  
Mary sits down on the couch next Laszlo. “You’ve had four coffees today. You’re not getting any more.”  
“Pff, I’m mature enough to know what I’m doing.” He flings himself onto the couch and lays his legs on the coffee table. He’s wearing shorts to show off the pink, purple and blue striped socks that reach almost up to his knees.  
Cyrus takes the only armchair and John puts a pillow on the floor to sit on. The coffee feels hot in his hands. It works almost as well as a whiskey to warm his heart.  
“I should go home”, Stevie sighs after a few moments of comfortable silence.  
“It’s dark, I’ll drive you”, Cyrus says while getting up. He puts on a coat and throws Stevie’s shabby jacket at him. Stevie grabs the car keys from the bowl by the door, everyone says their goodbye’s and they’re gone.  
John stands up. “I think I’ll go too. Thank you for the coffee. Will I see you two tomorrow?”  
“Of course”, Laszlo answers with a smile.  
Mary nods.  
They’re alone. They’ve been alone many times before but it never ceases to excite Mary. What will happen this time?  
“The sky is beautiful tonight”, Mary says. She looks out of the window and then back at Laszlo.  
“Indeed. There are many stars visible.” Laszlo stands up to go to the window.  
Mary follows him. She lays her head against his shoulder and looks up at the sky. “The stars in the sky are almost as beautiful as the stars in your eyes.”  
Laszlo doesn’t respond but he doesn’t move away either.

The end (for now)


End file.
